


Body Gold

by chromsama



Category: Persona 4
Genre: M/M, guess what: it's fluff SURPRISE, yu tries so hard for yosuke
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-27
Updated: 2018-06-27
Packaged: 2019-05-29 09:07:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,496
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15069857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chromsama/pseuds/chromsama
Summary: As Teddie cried and debated on whether “scoring” qualified as a gift, Yu shifted his gaze to the side to find Yosuke staring at the ground, arms crossed with a solemn expression and lips pressed firmly together. The absence of his usual shining grin and amusing remarks unnerved him, yet he was one to talk as he felt his chest begin to tighten. Out of everyone he could have picked, Yosuke should have been his preferred outcome, yet he felt anxious with doubt. Did Yosuke ever mention what gifts he liked? What he already had?For someone he proclaimed to be his partner, Yu wouldn’t be satisfied with “acceptable”; he wanted “perfect”.===Yu tries to get Yosuke a gift.





	Body Gold

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, Hello!! ^p^ 
> 
> WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOSUKE'S BIRTHDAY WAS LAST WEEK??!?? >:Y
> 
> Enjoy!!!

“Yes, I  _ know _ it’s not Christmas any time soon, but we never threw a party when Naoto-kun joined our team, so this is the perfect opportunity for a little celebration!” Rise declared with a firm stance. 

“I appreciate the gesture, Rise-san, but there’s no need for any extensive celebratory measures,” Naoto dismissed with a small shake of her head. “I’m more than happy to just provide assistance for this case.”

“Aw, come on, Naoto-kun!” Rise wailed, tugging profusely on her arm. “We would always do secret gift exchanges before a big performance, and if anything, we need one  _ now _ !”

“So, like, it’s just “secret Santa”?” Chie asked, tilting her head to the side.

“Yep! It’s so much fun and it gives us the chance to get to know each other better!” Rise explained with a beaming smile. “Besides, if anything, at least we get a little present from someone!”

Some of the group looked a bit disgruntled and uncomfortable, but with Rise’s contagious spirit, Yu found himself smiling and chiming in, “I think it’s a wonderful idea, Rise.”

Rise gasped loudly in surprise as everyone stared at him with startled disbelief. “I knew I could count on you, senpai!”

“Well, if Sensei and Rise-chan says it’s a good idea, then I’m in!” Teddie cheered, lifting his arms up.

“I think it could be fun,” Yukiko agreed after a short while with a wide smile. “Sure, why not?”

Chie glanced at Yukiko for a small moment, then sighed, bringing her hands up in surrender. “I guess I’m all in too!”

“Once our leader says so, guess there’s no going back, huh?” Yosuke slyly glanced at Yu, grinning and flashing a small wink. “I’m all in too!”

“I-I’m gettin’ in on this too, damn it!” Kanji loudly proclaimed with unexpected enthusiasm, a slight blush sprawled across his cheeks.

Naoto’s gaze swept through everyone once before releasing a deep sigh and nodding swiftly. “Very well, then. I will participate as well.” 

“You guys! This will be  _ so  _ much fun!” Rise cheered loudly as she clapped her hands together rapidly. “Since I’m the organizer, I’ll hand out the names!” With a broad grin, she pulled out eight small pieces of paper from her jacket pocket, and began crumbling them into small balls.

Before anyone could comment on Rise’s questionable preparedness, she gestured at Naoto’s head, wordlessly asking for permission. With a slight scowl, Naoto reluctantly pulled off her cap, tugging anxiously at her bangs as Rise began shuffling the papers inside. After one last huge shake, she began distributing them around the group with a tiny skip to her step. When she tilted the hat towards Yu, she gave him a playful wink as he quickly pulled one out with a small, flustered smile.

“Okay, so that’s everyone! Did anybody get their own names?” Rise asked as she placed Naoto’s cap back on top of her head.

Yu quietly observed everyone as they began folding open their papers close to their chests, their reactions ranging from a slight raised brow to smiles being melted into terrified, pursed lips. When no one spoke out, Yu took it as his cue to unfold his, finding the name  _ Yosuke Hanamura _ spelled out in Rise’s small, cutesy handwriting.

“I guess I’ll take that as a no?” Rise said after a brief silence. “That’s great! Usually that never happens at the get-go!”

“Wait, what happens if we want someone else?” Teddie asked as one of his hands shot up. “Can we trade for someone else? Say, someone more in the… cute and smoochable department?”

“No trading, Teddie!” Rise pouted with a glare. “You have to get a gift for the one it says on your paper!”

As Teddie cried and debated on whether “scoring” qualified as a gift, Yu shifted his gaze to the side to find Yosuke staring at the ground, arms crossed with a solemn expression and lips pressed firmly together. The absence of his usual shining grin and amusing remarks unnerved him, yet he was one to talk as he felt his chest begin to tighten. Out of everyone he could have picked, Yosuke  _ should  _ have been his preferred outcome, yet he felt anxious with doubt. Did Yosuke ever mention what gifts he liked? What he already had?

For someone he proclaimed to be his partner, Yu wouldn’t be satisfied with “acceptable”; he wanted “perfect”.

 

===

 

Not even a few hours passed by before Yosuke invited himself into Yu’s room, pacing around in a panic, mindlessly twirling the cords of his headphones to the same effect. 

“Ugh, why did I even agree to this?! How would I even know what to get her?!” Yosuke shouted in anguish before collapsing his full weight on the couch. “You have to help me, partner!”

“Should you really be telling me who your secret partner is?” Yu asked with an unintentional amused smirk.

“Ah, who cares?” Yosuke rolled his eyes as he waved his hand carelessly in the air. “I’ll just be telling you, not her anyways. Besides, you’re my partner, even in situations like this!”

Yu wholeheartedly chuckled. “Right… Alright, then,” he placed himself in a spot next to Yosuke on the couch. “Who’s got you in a panic?”

“It’s for Naoto,” Yosuke waved the crumpled up paper weakly in display. “I don’t even know what she likes, dude! Plus, I’m pretty sure she hates me.”

Yu laughed again, shaking his head in dismissal. “I’m pretty sure she doesn’t hate you. Naoto’s just shy.”

“Easy for you to say,” Yosuke said after he released a half-humored snort. “She actually likes you. I’ve barely even said three words to her!”

“If it’s that hard, couldn’t you just find something at Junes for her?” Yu quipped with a raised brow. “They sell almost everything there; I’m pretty sure there’s something there for her. I mean, this whole gift exchange thing’s not that big of a deal, right?” he prompted with baited breath.

“Ugh, yeah, but,” Yosuke pushed himself up into a sitting position, staring at the ceiling with his arms crossed. “I don’t know, I could do that for  _ anyone _ . I don’t just want to get her some manufactured thing or whatever. I actually want to try and get her something… nice.”

Yu felt his heart flux between limbo as Yosuke finished his response with a small, embarrassed blush on his cheeks. “Yosuke…”

“Pl-Plus, I’m her senpai too!” Yosuke added, chuckling to cover the rising flush on his face. “Can’t be the only lame one in this exchange, y’know?”

Yu stared for a bit, still taken aback from the exchange, as a small smile tugged on his mouth. “Right, of course.”

“Hey,” Yosuke shot his head up, curiosity perched on his brow. “Who did  _ you  _ get anyways?”

Falling silent for a moment, Yu frantically rummaged through his mind for a response before settling with, “Teddie.”

“Teddie?” Yosuke repeated as his eyes expanded wide. He then sighed and slumped his shoulders downward. “Man, you’re so lucky, partner. You could practically give him your spit in a jar and he would still adore it.”

Yu shifted his gaze to the floor in contemplation as he held his chin between his fingers. “That may not be a bad idea…”

“Wha- I was just kidding!” Yosuke shouted, roughly bumping his shoulder against his.

As their laughter polluted the room, it also intensified the growing knot in Yu’s stomach. The lingering notion that he still had no idea what to give Yosuke was pure torture, and he hadn’t even settled on where he’d get the gift from, a question warranting it’s own troublesome anxiety.

 

===

 

Yu figured the one place he could easily buy something was out of his options, so he found himself pacing the shopping district, the one place he knew that Yosuke hardly stepped foot in. After a few rounds of relentless pacing and browsing through shop names, he spotted Chie on one of the Souzaki Daigaku’s benches, eating and whimpering, a combination he never thought he would see his friend in. 

“Hey, Chie,” Yu carefully called out to her, sitting himself down across from her. “You okay?”

“I’m eating,” Chie managed to say in between cheek fulls. After a swallow, she muttered, “I eat when I’m upset...”

Yu tilted his head at her. “And why are you so upset?”

“Ugh, just, what am I going to do, Yu-kun?!” Chie groaned, finally stopping her eating to frantically scratch her scalp nervously. “How am I supposed to get a gift for an idol?! Rise-chan practically has everything already! Oh, why did I even agree to this thing?! I’m going to be the only one who looks stupid!”

“You got Rise?” Yu replied, his interest piqued.

Chie slowly came to process her outburst, then jolted out of her seat. “A-Ah crap! Pl-Please don’t tell her anything, Yu-kun! I know it’s supposed to be a secret, but it was the slip of the nervous meat!”

“Don’t worry, Chie, I won’t say anything,” Yu calmly intercepted, bringing one of his hands up. “Between you and me, I’m sort of in a… similar predicament.”

“Oh?” Chie tilted her head to the side. “Who’d ya get?”

“Yosuke.” Yu answered, figuring he could make themselves be equal.

“You’re having trouble finding a gift… for Yosuke…?” Chie asked suspiciously slowly as she narrowed her eyes on him. Yu nodded hesitantly but couldn’t help but feel a bit heated under her unreadable gaze.

After a pause, Chie startled Yu as she let out a huge, hearty laugh that seemed to shake the table they were both sitting in. Yu sat there bewildered, attempting to comprehend her response as she clenched her stomach, trying to stifle her sound by burying her face into the table.

“S-Sorry,” Chie managed to say once the air began to return to her lungs. “But, seriously, you don’t know what to get for Yosuke?”

Yu nodded, feeling a bit more flustered than before.

“Seriously, Yu-kun, you’re thinking way too hard on this,” Chie shook her head as she smiled at him. “You could just give him yourself, with a bow and everything, and he would love it. You’re his  _ partner _ , after all.”

Yu felt his cheeks light up from her remark, darting his eyes away as Chie giggled at him. “He’s going to be expecting something decent, Chie. I just… don’t want to disappoint him.”

After a careful thought and tapping of her chin, Chie then suggested, “Well, homemade gifts are always the best, they say! Why don’t you cook something for him?”

Yu fixated on her with an incredulous gaze. “I already cook for him.”

“Yeah, as if I don’t know about your oh so special lunchtime rooftop dates,” Chie quipped with a beaming grin, hinting at her playful intent. “But the best way to a man’s heart is his stomach!” she curled her lips as Yu just stared blankly at her.. “...Right? Isn't that how it goes?”

“I’m trying to get him a gift, not “win him over”, Chie,” Yu deflected with a soft chuckle.

“Oh?” Chie tilted her head, a huge grin spreading across her face. “I thought that was something you were already trying to do?”

Yu found himself speechless, in awe of Chie’s direct... but not necessarily untrue, accusation.

 

===

 

Unfortunately still far from his goal, Yu found himself wandering in familiar territory. He doubted he’d be able to find a decent gift in the hardware store, yet he still placed hope in the far off chance that he’d find a unique weapon on an overlooked shelf. However, after searching thoroughly through the rust and iron, his eyes drew away towards a stark red figure that stood out among the dark interior, smiling to himself when he saw her.

“Hi there, Yukiko,” Yu greeted with a wave.

“Oh, hello, Yu-kun!” Yukiko warmly smiled back at him, waving ecstatically. “I’m assuming you’re here to find a gift too?”

“I guess you could say that?” Yu chuckled, rubbing the back of his head gradually. “You having any luck here?”

As Yukiko opened her mouth to respond, the owner shouted at her with his booming voice, “Miss Amagi, I finished making what you requested!”

“Oh!” Yukiko jolted to attention, scurrying to the counter to fascinate over his latest handiwork. Yu peered over his shoulder, almost blinding himself from the golden sheen of two large combat boots shining in Yukiko’s hands.

“They’re absolutely perfect, Master Daidara!” Yukiko said, nearly jumping in place. “How much are they?”

“For you, big discount! How’s 100,000 yen sound?” Daidara offered, crossing his arms with an overwhelming, prideful smile.

Yu could practically hear the scream attempting to escape Yukiko’s throat. “O-Oh, I’m just a few yen short, unfortunately… I’ll have to come by some other time.”

“Hm, very well, then,” the owner shook his head in disappointment. He turned his gaze over to Yu next and the smile returned. “Ah, young man! You here to buy more weapons?”

“You should try it, Yu-kun!” Yukiko suggested, stepping behind him as she playfully pushed his back towards the counter. “You tell Master Daidara what you want in a gift and he makes you something based on your needs!”

Yu pondered over the situation, eventually surrendering a sigh, as his desperation gave in. “Sure, why not?”

Yukiko smiled and gestured with her hand to get started. Yu averted his gaze to the ceiling, aimlessly shuffling through his bangs loosely with his fingers. “I guess I would want something that would be useful and unique… Something not too flashy, but I want it to…” Yu found himself coughing in his loose hand as he felt the room becoming increasingly warmer. “To show how much I really care about them and how much I value them… as a part-” Yu quickly glanced at Yukiko. With as much grace as he could possibly muster, he added,  “As a friend.”

The master rubbed his chin diligently and, after a few silent seconds, nodded firmly. “I got the perfect craft! Wait here, young man.”

As Daidara made his way to the back, Yukiko tapped Yu’s shoulder. “Wow, you must really want to win the gift exchange, huh?”

Yu blinked at her. “Um, I don’t think it’s a competition…” 

“Oh, it isn’t?” Yukiko jerked back in surprise. With a small frown on her lips, she muttered, “I wanted to win, though…”

Before Yu could attempt to reconcile her, the master hollered over at them, “It’s finished!”

They both turned their gazes back to him, averting their attention to the tiny metal in his hands.

“A… ring…?” Yu voiced aloud.

“I call it, The Vow of Gales, yes,” Daidara reaffirmed with a boastful nod. “It protects the bearer from any harm and guarantees to bring them good luck, I think! I also went out of my way to make it look fashionable and representative of true comradery!”

“Oh, that looks perfect, Yu-kun!” Yukiko happily chimed in, clapping her hands together. “Especially from you to Yosuke-kun too! What a way to solidify your partnership!”

Yu felt his eyes bulge out of his head as he snapped his neck rapidly towards Yukiko, an outrageous expression on his face no doubt as his eyes were blown to ridiculous proportions. “Wh-What? How did you-?!” 

“Oh, Chie told me!” Yukiko answered with an innocent smile. “I think it’s so sweet for you to go out of your way to find a perfect gift for Yosuke-kun! And I think a ring would be just that!”

Yu felt a surge of pale heat crawl on the back of his neck as he struggled to find a coherent response. When he couldn’t, he turned to Daidara, and said “I’m sorry, I think I’ll pass…”

“Aw, why’s that, Yu-kun?” Yukiko asked, slightly frowning. “I thought it was perfect…”

Yu shook his head firmly. “I-It’s a bit much, don’t you think?”

“I suppose, but I think Yosuke-kun would like it, especially from you,” her frown turned into something mischievous. “I think he would be happy with anything from you. Even if you just give yourself as a gift.”

Yu said nothing, even as he found himself victim to Yukiko’s relentless choir of laughter.

==

Yu had simply run out of options by now, deciding to take any lead he could to help brew new ideas, as he reached for the door of the bookstore. Just as he opened it, Naoto’s signature blue cap came into view on the other side, startling both of them.

“Ah, senpai, hello,” Naoto greeted him, wearing a small smile. “I hope you’re faring well?”

“Oh, hey, Naoto,” Yu nodded at her, mirroring a smile back. “I’m not all that surprised to see you here.”

Naoto softly chuckled. “Yes, I suppose so. I wanted to acquire the newest release of this book series before I attempt to find a gift for the exchange.”

“Oh? Who’d you get?” Yu asked.

“If I told you, that would defeat the purpose of the secret gift exchange now, wouldn't it?” Naoto countered with her rare smirk.

“I suppose you’re right,” Yu chuckled. “Got any ideas on what you might get, though?”

“That I’m having trouble formulating…” She said, uncharacteristically troubled. “I’m not quite sure what surmises a good gift or not. And I suppose this person wouldn’t really like books either.”

“Yeah,” Yu said, dejected. “If only it were that simple.”

“Oh? Are you having troubles too, senpai?” Naoto asked surprisingly.

“I guess you could say that,” Yu sighed. “It’s like I know what to get them, but then I don’t, you know what I mean?”

“Hm, that’s quite the predicament,” Naoto placed her fingers between her chin. “Although, from my observations, I don’t think Yosuke-senpai would be that hard to aquire a gift for.”

Yu began to exhale a dejected sigh until Naoto’s words fully processed in his head, chilling his body to the bone. He peered down at her, finding Naoto concealing a chuckle on her fist.

“I found it quite odd that you are shopping around aimlessly without Yosuke-senpai’s usual assistance, and the fact that you have been wandering around the shopping district without heading towards Junes cements my theory further. Am I wrong?”

Yu was frozen, speechless in astonishment, but ultimately couldn’t contain the series of chuckles that escaped his mouth. “I should’ve known nothing gets past you, Naoto. You’re just that amazing of a detective.”  

A tinge of red flushed through Naoto’s cheeks as she tugged the ridges of her cap. “I-It was just mere observation, is all.” As she coughed, slipping her gaze away from him, she settled on the books laid out on the outside shelf. “Perhaps we might find something that fits Yosuke-senpai’s taste?”

Yu bit back a laugh with the thought of Yosuke, enjoying a book that wasn’t a comic or a cover plastered with the latest “tasteful” idol.

“Hm,” Naoto rubbed her chin diligently, glancing in between book spines before fixating her gaze on one. She pulled it out to show him and said, “How about this one, senpai?”

“Uh,” Yu blinked at the cover, “Expert Study Methods? I don’t think that’s something Yosuke would like, Naoto… Quite the opposite, in fact.”

Naoto chuckled lightly. “I can’t help but agree, but I don’t doubt it’s something that Yosuke-senpai could benefit greatly from.”

Yu slightly tilted his head to the side and frowned. “I mean, I know his grades aren’t that great, but he’s doing better. I’ve been helping him with his studies, believe it or not.”

“So that was your doing, I see,” she averted her gaze to the side, “He mentioned something to Yukiko-senpai and I about wanting to study harder, so that his grades for next year would be better. He wanted to attempt to take the college placement exams, to try to attend school with you in the city.”

Hearing that sent chills through Yu’s core, leaving him standing there, utterly stunned and overcome with emotion. He choked on his words as he felt his face burn with intensity, struggling to muster even a single word in response, instead barely replying “O-Oh…”

Naoto took notice of Yu’s behavior, wondering if her advice had upset him. “W-Was that a bad suggestion, senpai? Perhaps I spoke too prematurely; perhaps Yosuke-senpai wouldn’t even be fond of books…As a gift too, no less.”

Yu snapped out of his daze, coughing into a fist to conceal his growing blush. “N-No, it was a great suggestion. Thank you, Naoto. I’ll… think about it.” He placed the book back on it’s cover, committing the title to memory.

Naoto nodded. “Of course, senpai. I’m happy I could’ve been at least a bit of assistance in your search.”

Yu wordlessly nodded at her as she parted ways in her own search for a gift, the thought of Yosuke preparing for a future he didn’t know he so desperately wanted never resigning in his mind.

 

===

 

The train fare to Okina was a small price Yu paid as he deduced that perhaps being outside of Inaba grounds was the only way he could find Yosuke’s gift. Yosuke always lamented to him about the need to return to a citylife; maybe one of these overpriced stores could be the perfect solution. 

As Yu pondered between which store his wallet would fall victim to, a cheerful voice he could easily recognize rang through his ears, “Senpai!”

Yu glanced to his side, taken fully by surprise when Rise fastened herself onto his arm, stumbling a few steps back, “O-Oh, hello, Rise.”

“The two of us here in Okina, alone,” Rise dreamily sighed, clutching onto his arm tighter. “It must be fate!”

Yu nodded, scratching with the hand unoccupied on his cheek bashfully. “R-Right…” 

“Or at least that’s what I’d like to say, but,” Rise sighed, unlatching herself regretfully. “You’re here to find a gift for Yosuke-senpai, aren’t you?”

Before Yu could clumsily begin questioning over the fact of the matter, Rise let out a heartful chuckle. “You have this troubled look plastered all over your face, and who  _ else  _ would you come all the way to Okina for?”

Yu could only feel flustered under the idol’s all-seeing, observant gaze. “Y-You caught me red handed, Rise…”

“I was going to buy myself some new clothes, but,” A devilish grin played on Rise’s lips. “Shopping with you for Yosuke-senpai seems a lot more fun!”

“Sh-Shouldn’t you be shopping for your giftee, Rise?” Yu tried diverting, already knowing his effort would be fruitless.

Rise shook her head. “I already got it covered! Now, come on, I already  _ know _ the perfect gift!”

Before Yu could respond in protest, Rise looped her arm around his and began dragging him across the street to a colorful, elegant looking store. The lack of other patrons and the huge, displayed price tags already had Yu dreading whatever Rise had in store.

Rise quickly scanned the store before letting out a noise of declaration, and pulled Yu towards the corner of the store that displayed electronics behind a glass wall.

“There it is!” Rise pointed out to a pair of sleek, red headphones with her finger. “The latest model of the brand Yosuke-senpai wears! I didn’t want to say anything to him, but his model is like three brands behind, yeesh.”

Yu glanced at the headphones and at her. “He said he wanted new headphones…?”

“Hm, no, not really, but,” Rise said with a shrug. “Seeing how he uses his everyday and even brings it with him to battle, they’re bound to break sooner or later. What else would Yosuke-senpai want more than top-of-the-line headphones?! It’s even got that noise-cancelling thingy music nerds like him like!”

The more Rise rambled, the more sense she was making and the more he felt a pain growing in the pit of his wallet. “Wh-What if he’s already saving to get one or his parents bought him one or something?”

“Oh, that’s true, the store doesn’t offer refunds…” Rise slipped her gaze in contemplation. “How about if I just casually ask Yosuke-senpai and then we’ll see!”

“I appreciate the thought, Rise, but I think it’ll easily give me away,” Yu dismissed. “I’ll try being more careful and ask Teddie.”

“Oh, good idea, senpai!” Rise agreed, pumping her fists up. “You’re always so clever and thoughtful! No wonder you’re our leader!”

“Um, thank you,” Yu accepted the compliment with a flustered smile as she giggled. “I really appreciate you helping me out, Rise. I can always count on you.”

“Of course, senpai!” Rise gave him a bright, glowing smile. “But, you know…”

“Hm?”

Rise twirled around, heading towards the exit. “I think Yosuke-senpai would be just as happy with  _ you  _ as a gift.”

 

===

 

The reply Yu got through text that Teddie was currently at Kanji’s house perplexed him, but with haste, he headed towards there, his chest feeling feather-light and warm. 

It tightened back in full force when he entered Kanji’s to see the last person he ever expected; Yosuke, sat across from Kanji.

“‘Sup, senpai!” Kanji greeted, mouth tugging into a warm smile.

“Hey, partner,” Yosuke murmured a greeting, too busy focusing on whatever he was fumbling with on his hands.

“Y-Yosuke?” Yu spoke out in shock. “What are you doing here?”

“I, uh, am trying to make Naoto’s gift,” Yosuke finally tilted his head up to look at him, masking his embarrassment behind a weak smile. “So far I’m making progress…”

“More like progress on all my yarn…” Kanji muttered under his breath, staring at a stack of yarn that looked to be a pile of failed attempts.

“A-Are you going to help me or not?!” Yosuke shouted angrily, a bright red dusting across his cheekbones.

“Y-Yes I am, sheesh!” Kanji yelled back, jolting his posture up from Yosuke’s tone. “I already told you the steps!”

“Um, may I ask what are you trying to make?” Yu inquired, an amused smirk playing on his lips.

Yosuke stared back at the cluttered mess on his hands with a dejected sigh. “It was supposed to be a scarf…”

“It’s the easiest thing to make, an’ super useful,” Kanji said. He looked at Yosuke’s stitching before adding, “Or at least, that’s what my ma tells me…”

Yu quirked a brow at Yosuke, his smirk ever so present. “You’re trying to make something for Naoto?”

Yosuke diligently continued working, his lips turning into a distasteful purse. “Y-Yeah, I mean she might not be so crazy about it, but I wanted to give her something that lets her know that she’s part of the team. And besides,” he glanced up at Kanji, flashing his trademark grin and wink. “Since Kanji suggested it to me and he’s teaching me, it’s kind of a gift from both of us, wouldn’t you say?”

Kanji slammed his fists against the table, his face fully flushed. “Wh-Why would I care about that?!”

As Yosuke began his onslaught of cackles at Kanji’s strong denial, Teddie walked into the room, gasping once he saw Yu.

“Sensei! You came all this way to see moi!?”

Yu jolted up, quickly grabbing Teddie by the wrist and calling out over his shoulder, “I’m going to talk to Teddie really quick, bye.”

“Whoa, Sensei, I’m honored to have you drag me into the hallway for some alone time!” Teddie said while blushing, fanning himself dramatically.

“Hey, Teddie, I wanted to ask you…” Yu bit his bottom lip, fumbling for the right words. “H-Has Yosuke been wanting something recently or been asking for something?”

“Hm… well, he’s been wishing for some things,” Teddie recalled as he repeatedly tapped his bottom lip. “Like he’s been wishing his dad gave him some days off every once in a while, he wished Chie would paid him back after spending his savings on my outfit, and he wished I wouldn’t snore so loudly at night or sometimes crawl in his bed!”

Yu blinked at him then softly laughed. “I see… Thank you, Teddie.”

“Oh! He’s also been wanting this!” Teddie searched inside his shirt before pulling out a thin magazine. “It’s his favorite book that somehow found its way inside my closet one day!”

Yu took the magazine from him, puzzled, until he got a good look at the cover, as he barely held back a hearty chuckle.

It was a rather…  _ interesting  _ nurse....

“W-Wow, thank you, Teddie,” Yu managed to say, using every bit of his leader willpower to restrain losing it right there.

“No problem, Sensei!” Teddie jumped in joy. “You can keep it, from me to you! Just, uh, don’t tell Yosuke you got it from me!”

Yu promised with a grin he couldn’t suppress.

===

 

“Welcome home, big bro!” Nanako greeted with a sunny smile once he stepped foot inside. 

“Hello, Nanako,” Yu patted her head as she hugged onto his leg.

“Oh, what’s in the bag?” Nanako asked as he settled it down on the kitchen table.

“It’s a gift for someone. A  _ surprise _ gift,” Yu explained, a playful smile spreading across his face when she gasped in her hands.

“A surprise?! That sounds like so much fun!” Nanako gigged and clapped her hands together, infectious enough that Yu couldn’t help but laugh alongside her.

“Oh!” Nanako suddenly jolted up, dashing towards her room with surprising speed. When she came back, her hands were filled with small stacks of cut up paper.

“I made these for Dad’s birthday! It’s a surprise too!” Nanako told him as she spread them out across the table. “They’re coupons! I learned it from school!”

“Coupons?” Yu mirrored, flipping through each sheet as Nanako nodded.

“Yeah! He gives me one and I have to do whatever it says!” Nanako answered. “The ones where I make Dad his coffee or give him a hug anytime are his favorites!”

Yu read each one, finding joy rippling through his body as he saw coupons that ranged from “take long walks to the river with Dad” to simply “tend the garden”. He bundled them back up together in a neat stack and handed them back to her.

“I love them, Nanako. You’re always full of great ideas,” Yu told her with a warm smile.

Nanako giggled when her cheeks hinted pink and hugged his arm. “Can I help you wrap your gift together, big bro?”

Yu effortlessly nodded. “Of course.”

==

Uneasiness and the red hot creep of a blush across his cheeks intensified the closer he got to Yosuke, the sound of his heart beating out of his chest ringing through his ears. He barely managed to make out Yosuke embarrassingly explain to Naoto his handicraft, or Naoto’s own flustered response. 

When Yosuke started rambling off-handed jokes about her height and Naoto fixed on him with a challenging look, Yu found it as his signal to pull him aside and hand him his gift. He held it at arm’s length as he said, with a small smirk, “Surprise.”

Yosuke’s eyes widened as he examined at the simple bag design before releasing a feather light chuckle. “So it  _ was  _ you. I should’ve known since you asked your own “giftee” to help you out.”

“I guess I’m just too clever,” Yu joked as his smirk turned into a grin.

Yosuke grinned back, winking as he took the bag. “Whoa, kinda heavy there… You don’t have a cat in there, do you, partner?”

Yu said nothing as he lets the color resurface on his face take over, eyes fixating on his movements as Yosuke carefully took out the large box from the bag. The large grin gradually faded, replaced with a dumbstruck gaping mouth, his expression becoming unreadable for the first time. The alarmingly intensified knot in his stomach resurfaced as the seconds between the absence of words grew.

Finally, Yosuke squeaked out, “H-How did you… Wh-When did you…”

“I kind of figured that maybe you’ve been wanting new headphones,” Yu clarified, instinctively darting his eyes to the ground. “I just wasn’t sure what model was the best… Rise helped me pick out the ones that were, in her words, “the most noise-cancelly and the most fashionable”. I hope they’re okay.”

Yosuke tore his eyes away from the box to stare directly at Yu. “Are you kidding me… This is the latest model! H-How did you afford…?”

Yu raised the hand that wasn’t nervously picking on his bands to intercept. “Don’t worry about it. I’m just glad you like it.”

“Like it? I’m in love, partner!” Yosuke exclaimed, his lips curling into a wide smile, infectious enough to have Yu smiling back. “I don’t think thanks are enough…”

“You should open it,” Yu suggested, glancing his eyes to the other side. “See if they’re the right color or not.”

Yosuke blinked and tilted his head, but complied with a half shrug. As soon as Yosuke pried open the flaps, Yu saw his disbelief spreading across his face.

“There’s more,” Yu said to fill in the silence. “More to your gift, I mean.”

Yosuke shot glances between the open box and him rapidly before he started rooting inside, fishing the large book first.

“Expert Study Methods?” Yosuke read aloud as his eyes traced on the cover.

“Naoto mentioned that you wanted to take your studies seriously,” Yu explained, watching as Yosuke flipped through the pages. “I use the series myself, but I bought the latest edition of this book that contains updated methods. Especially for… college placement tests.”

“N-Naoto told you…?!” Yosuke muttered under his breath as he used one hand to try to hide the searing red across his face. “Betrayed, even after I went out of my way to make her a scarf...”

Yu lifted a brow and smirked, teasingly, at him. “So you  _ do _ want to study harder…”

“H-Hey, I don’t want to stay in Inaba forever, y’know?!” Yosuke shouted over Yu’s growing laughs, glaring heatingly at him. “Besides, I thought it would be… cool… if we could be together again. In the city, I mean.”

Yu felt his heart kicked, smiling warmly at him. “I agree, it would be… cool.”

Yosuke glanced at him quickly before hastingly scavenging through the box once again. “Wh-What else is in here?!”

As Yosuke pulled the magazine out next, his face morphing from confused to complete horror as his face exploded into an impossible shade of red. He nearly dropped the magazine as if it was suddenly fire, using it instead to smack Yu across the shoulder.

“Teddie told me it was your favorite and that you were looking all over for it…” Yu stated with as much innocence as he could falsely muster.

Yosuke said nothing as he coughed, regaining his composure, and then thrusted the magazine into his hands. “There. A start for your collection. Consider it a gift from me.”

Yu softly chuckled at Yosuke’s deep frown. “I’m honored.”

Yosuke rolled his eyes as he picked at the box once more.

“Whoa, what could this be?” Yosuke said as he pulled out a small, velvet bag that had Yu’s emotions swirling inside his chest.

Yu said nothing as Yosuke slowly pulled it open, focusing on the ring that sat on his hands, too fearful to even see Yosuke’s face.

“O-Oh, a… ring?” Yosuke squeaked out, feeling the smooth metal with his fingertips.

“I-It should help you in battle, or at least that’s what Master Daidara said,” Yu clarified a bit too quickly, flinching at his own volume. “He also said it brought good luck, but that could just be a selling point. And Yukiko said rings fitted more your style, so I figured why not?”

Yosuke blinked twice at the ring then at him, before slipping on the ring and lifting his hand up to marvel at it. Yu finally dared to look at Yosuke’s reaction, seeing his eyes narrowed, finding a smile that radiated warmth. 

“Does it look cool on me?” Yosuke inquired at him, flashing a silly pose with his hand. 

“It looks… great,” Yu answered him, his chest tightening.

“Did you seriously get all this stuff for me?” Yosuke asked in astonishment, sitting down as he gazed at each present with a gaping mouth.

“I couldn’t really find you the perfect gift,” Yu responded as he settled next to him. “Everyone said it was so easy, but I still had trouble. I didn’t want to screw it up.”

“Seriously, partner?” Yosuke lifted a brow at him and laughed. “I would’ve been happy if you gave me a stick of gum. You didn’t have to go that far for me…”

“No, but I wanted to,” Yu’s lips pursed into a straight line. “I just wanted to show at least a portion of how much I love being your friend,” he turned to look directly at him, “Being your partner.”

A bright, scalding red dusted across Yosuke’s face. “H-Hey, don’t act all sappy with me! Ge-Geeze…”

Yu chuckled, feeling his own cheeks warm. “Right, sorry.”

“Hm?” Yosuke’s brows formed a furrow as he found an envelope attached to the book cover and began peeling it open. “What’s this?”

“O-Oh, um,” Yu felt his calm composure slip, feeling his face beginning to warm again. “I-It was Nanako’s idea… I figured if all else fails…”

Yosuke skimmed through each small sheet, the grin he was wearing growing exceptionally wider. He stopped at one and chuckled, waving the paper on one hand on display. “Make lunch for you for a week straight?”

“Anything you want,” Yu clarified, feeling flustered under Yosuke’s gaze. “I’ll make it. Believe it or not, it was Chie’s idea. She said the perfect gift was through your stomach.”

Yosuke laughed, rippling through Yu’s whole being to put him at ease. “Coupons, huh?”

“Yeah,” Yu nodded, settling his gaze on the tips of his bangs. “If you somehow hated all these other gifts, having personal favors never hurt, right?”

Yosuke bumped his shoulder against his, signalling to have Yu face him. “I love them. All of them,” he smiled. “Thank you, partner.”

An unexpected warmth and shyness rushed through him, but he managed to smile back, saying, “Of course.”

After a moment’s pause, Yosuke hummed under his breath and tapped a finger to his chin. “You know, I think the coupons  _ are  _ my favorite though.”

Yu quirked a brow and a small smirk formed on his lips. “Why, because I get to be your personal slave for a bit?”

They both laughed simultaneously as Yosuke punched his shoulder lightly. He shook his head, pulling out that smile that stopped Yu’s heart.

“It’s because it’s  _ you _ .”

Words escaped Yu, died on his tongue as his cheeks became lightly brushed with a pink hue. Yosuke said nothing when he nervously, slowly, shifted his hand on top of his. Yu said nothing as he steadily began lacing their fingers together or when he felt Yosuke’s grip tighten, the cool metal pressing on his skin. They both remained silent as their unspoken bond joined them together, the couple reveling in their quiet warmth. Within that twilight hour, where time seemed to halt, Yu wondered if Yosuke understood the true gift he’d given him.

**Author's Note:**

> Man, you should never put me in a deadline because I wrote this for Yosuke's birthday and completely forgot it was the day after my fiance's birthday haha. I actually wrote 2, this one and nsfw one, and I'll spare your eyes and post this one lol
> 
> I wanted a fic just to shower Yosuke with gifts for his birthday and I was honestly going to have everyone do it......but y'know me........drinking that corny ass souyo juice.........delicious..........
> 
> Sorry this is so lame and fluffy haha, I TRIED. IF YOU VOMIT. YOU CAN SEND ME YOUR DRY CLEANER BILLS!!!! 
> 
> And you're probably wondering, "How did Yu know Yosuke's ring size?!", and my answer is: Yosuke casually mentioned it one day. Just for future reference. It's what partners do. 
> 
> And WOW, I finally have a double digit fic amount. I need to start wearing big boy pants! ^p^b haha TEN CORNY SOUYOS...... but seriously, it's been such a pleasure writing for this fandom!!! I may not contribute enough (and, well, contribute good haha), but I do love souyo a lot lol and I've met the nicest people ever.....so......./sob
> 
> Thank you so much for reading!!! If you want, you can follow me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/chromiibo) to talk about souyo or persona! ଘ(੭ˊ꒳ˋ)੭✧


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